It needs to be made of cotton yarn left over from other projects, hold a lot, fit over my shoulder, and have at least one change pocket.

Here is the first attempt.

It is based on a pattern I found on Michael's Arts and Craft site

I made a few changes in the basic pattern.  I added the pouch, changed colors, added a few more rounds to the top before starting on the handles, and made the handles longer. 

Hi!
I didn't write down my adaptions to the basic pattern.  Most of my crochet starts out with a pattern but sooner or later ends up free-form.  But I can "talk you through" the modifications, if you'd like.

Start the bag as described in the pattern (found on the link on my page and also on many of the bands wrapping Sugarn' Cream 4-ply cotton.)  Make the starting chain longer or shorter, if you want to alter the width of the bag.

Continue, changing colors as desired up through 3 or 4 rounds of the mesh area.  To add a solid band that will support the inner pouch, jump to the directions on how to end the mesh and start the top.  Follow these and keep
crocheting sc row until the band is a couple of inches wide. 

Make a little pouch for the inner side of the bag.  If nothing else comes to mind, follow the instructions for beginning this bag, but with just half the chain, and use sc instead of mesh until the bag is as deep as you like.  Finish the bag with a zipper, velcro or button closure.  I sewed on buttons and crocheted loops, but you could just as easily incorporate a button hole in the pouch or even in the supporting band of the bag.

Go back to the main bag and crochet the pouch to the supporting band.  I set the pouch so it stuck up over the band I'd made, then cotinued the band, catching the edges of the pouch each time I went around and finally catching the top edge of the pouch with the last round of the band. 

Then start the mesh section again and continue up to the top of the bag.  If you want to put in a taper,  decrease a mesh loop on each round. 

Make the last round of the top of the bag and start on the handle, as directed. Think about whether you want to set the handle at the corners of the bag or the sides.  I like corners and the pattern calls for sides. Then, instead of just making rows of sc for the handle, make rounds so you have a little pouch formed in the handle.  Stop rounds & go back to rows when the pouch is deep enough.  Measure the length of a handle on a bag you like and make your handle that length. (And remember, if you are using cotton yarn instead of nylon cord, that the cotton is going to stretch when you get the bag loaded.)

If this isn't clear and you want more details, let me know and I'll keep better track of what I'm doing and take pictures when I make the next one.  I'll put this note on the webpage as well, for anyone who wants to refer back to it.

Katherine